This invention is directed to the monitoring of medical alarm situations and the reporting and responding to thereof, and in particular, the managing of alarms from a disparate variety of locations, equipment, and patients associated therewith.
With the advent of modern medicine, condition monitors for patients have grown in complexity, not only in the conditions monitored, but also in the manner in which alarm conditions are reported. An industry has grown up around the monitoring technology so that a variety of manufacturers has developed their own proprietary alarm and monitoring equipment. This equipment monitors conditions and reports on conditions in a different manner from type to type and manufacturer to manufacturer. Accordingly, a Phillips monitor may monitor a patient in one way, while a Siemens monitor may monitor the exact same condition in another way. Furthermore, monitors, although quite sophisticated, merely monitor a condition and are not cognizant, nor do they care about their physical location within a hospital or the identity of the patient to which they are attached. Lastly, the monitors, because they report in disparate ways, are not conducive to providing consistent, accurate messages in a single format. Furthermore, the alarms are usually localized, i.e., occurring adjacent the patient being monitored, such as in the room, or at best, and not in every situation, at a nurse's call station.
As a result, multiple disparate alarms are triggered. The alarms occur at a variety of places and therefore are hard to monitor, audit, track or even respond to in a consistent manner. The time and effort required to monitor these disparate alarms takes away from time and effort which caregivers could be dedicating to patients. Lastly, the processing or responding to the alarms is done on a localized basis with solutions that are only available from the manufacturer of the alarm. One manufacturer designs a device that requires response by physically pushing a button on the device, while another device may allow for remote access or response from the nurse's call station.
Accordingly, it is desired to provide a system and apparatus, which overcomes the shortcoming of the prior art by centralizing the alarm collection, logging, staff assignment and response for the disparate alarm equipment.
Furthermore, when alarm reports are given, they either have too little data so that responses cannot be efficiently determined and performed, such as a red light or a sound, or too much data, such as a simultaneous wave form at a screen at a nurse's station. The first response, although quick, limits the possibilities to respond. The second type of alarm, richer in data, requires more time to generate and therefore is inefficient and may arrive too late for an appropriate response. Accordingly, there is no happy medium.
Furthermore, a caregiver at a single station may be overwhelmed by the number, complexity and differences amongst the different signals received from monitoring equipment, nurse call buttons, and other equipment signals. The information overload may result in confusion and inadequate response to true emergencies.
Even when the locations of patients and equipment are fixed relative to rooms or designated areas within a facility, the assignment of staff, in general, and which staff member in particular responds to a monitored alarm, is often a variable. It is a function of physical proximity to the alarm, schedules as determined by either the manager of the facility or the vendor of the staff (such as nurse supply companies) and the changing schedules of staff members as a function of general availability.
Accordingly, it is desired to provide a system which overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by tracking staff, scheduling staff and assigning staff to respond to a monitored alarm in an efficient manner.